Fighting malware and spam

Grisoft acquires Exploit Prevention Labs

AVG to incorporate LinkScanner in further consolidation of security offerings.

Grisoft, developer of the AVG security product whose free version is widely deployed on home-user desktops, has announced the acquisition of Exploit Prevention Labs, a small firm whose headline product LinkScanner focuses on detecting exploit attempts in web pages before they are visited.

LinkScanner is designed to spot attempts to exploit vulnerable software by websites, and to block such attempts until vulnerabilities can be patched. A 'Lite' version of the product is made available free, and is expected to be rolled into the free-for-personal-use version of AVG, while the more fully featured versions will become part of Grisoft's expanding product line, which includes the Ewido anti-spyware solution the company acquired last spring.

Financial details of the deal have not been released, but the acquisition was supported by Intel Capital investment, who bought a sizeable stake in Grisoft just over two years ago. Industry veteran and Exploit Prevention Labs co-founder Roger Thompson will become Chief Research Officer at Grisoft, while other staff and facilities will also be absorbed into the Grisoft operation.

The move follows a string of acquisitions in the security marketplace recently, with many security firms expanding to cover a broader spectrum of threats. Anti-spyware specialist Webroot merged with email and web filtering firm Email Systems, while Symantec and Trend Micro have bought into data leak prevention and McAfee has invested in encryption and website trust rating firms, all in the last few months.

Full details of the Grisoft acquisition can be found on its website here, with some more from Exploit Prevention Labs here.

05 December 2007

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